Food Trend Watch: the 11 top food trends at the 2014 CRFA food show

Each year, the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association hosts a massive trade show. The event is one of the year’s most important industry gatherings for chefs and other professional foodies. It’s also a great venue for trend-spotting. (Last year, we were dead-on with our prediction that food trucks and Mexican food were going to be huge.) This year, we once again perused the stalls and made our best guesses for 2014. Here, 11 food trends that we predict will hit your plate before next year’s show.

<strong>3. Tea</strong><br /><br />
Move over coffee. If the number of vendors hocking loose-leaf teas and tea-infused products is an indication, steeped beverages are going to be all over the place this year

(Image: Renée Suen)

CRFA Food Trend Watch

Food Trend Watch: the seven top food trends at the 2014 Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association show

<strong>8. Mainstream Fusion</strong><br /><br />
Big, commercial food companies are starting to pick up on the multicultural mash-up trend. The "mixology menu" at the <strong>French's</strong> booth boasted all sorts of unconventional flavour combinations, like smoked-salmon okonomiyaki, scallop-stuffed papadam rolls, and East Coast crab cakes served with South Carolina barbecue sauce

(Image: Renée Suen)

CRFA Food Trend Watch

Food Trend Watch: the seven top food trends at the 2014 Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association show